DeBoer Looks to Steer Sailors to Breslin
February 18, 2016
By Dean Holzwarth
Special for Second Half
CUTLERVILLE – Jenn DeBoer remembers the thrill of playing in the MHSAA Class B Final when she was a sophomore.
The South Christian standout would like nothing better than to revisit that feeling in her final season.
DeBoer, a 5-foot-7 point guard, is currently leading the Sailors toward what they hope is another extended postseason run.
South Christian is 16-1 with three games remaining in the regular season before Districts tip off in March.
“That was a lot of fun, and obviously it was different because I was a sophomore and I knew that I had two more years after that,” DeBoer said. “But this year it’s a big goal for all of us seniors. We’ve talked about how we want to get back there and end our senior season strong.”
Led by DeBoer and a cast of veteran senior teammates, the Sailors have displayed the potential to make some noise in the MHSAA tournament.
They’re seeking an Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold title and currently own a perfect 7-0 mark in league play. Their championship hopes hinge on upcoming showdowns with Wayland and Grand Rapids Catholic Central.
“It’s been a blast so far,” DeBoer said. “I couldn’t ask for a better senior season. Our team chemistry is so amazing, and the other seniors and I get along so well. Obviously, winning has been fun too, and it’s probably one of the best teams I’ve been on.”
DeBoer, a four-year varsity player who committed to Division II Grand Valley State University before her junior season, has been the floor general of this year’s squad.
She has contributed in every aspect of the game, averaging 16.8 points, 6.0 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 steals per contest.
First-year South Christian coach Kim Legge has watched DeBoer improve and mature throughout the past years.
“She has made strides because of her work ethic, and she always wants to learn,” said Legge, a longtime assistant under recently-retired coach Jim DeBruyn.
“She’s like a sponge, and she’s been to a point guard camp the past two summers. That has really helped with her decision-making and leadership skills.”
DeBoer recently established two new school records for her 3-point shooting prowess.
During a recent win over Hastings, she set a new mark for career 3-pointers that had stood since 2003 while also surpassing the single-season record.
DeBoer toppled Leah Pettinga’s career record of 93 3-pointers made. She currently has 45 on the season.
“It’s a huge honor to have the record now,” DeBoer said. “I knew I was pretty close because I focus on shooting 3s. It’s my favorite thing to do, and that’s just what I do. I wasn’t sure if I would ever make it, so it is definitely really cool to know that I have the record now.”
Legge didn’t know DeBoer was approaching the milestone until a few weeks ago, but she wasn’t surprised by the accomplishment.
“Anything that girl puts her mind to she seems to get done,” Legge said. “I got clued in a couple games before that she was getting close, but she would have never said anything to me. That’s how she is. She is so humble. It was a goal of hers, but it never would’ve come out of her mouth.”
DeBoer said the transition from DeBruyn to Legge wasn’t a difficult one.
“They both have similar coaching styles, but coach Legge is a lot more centered on defense so our defense this year has really picked up,” she said. “We have done a lot of the same things we’ve been doing in the past.”
DeBoer’s early commitment to the Lakers has allowed her to enjoy a stress-free final two seasons. It’s allowed her to focus strictly on helping her team succeed instead of lamenting over which college to choose.
“The pressure has been off, and I’ve been able to focus on my last basketball season at South,” DeBoer said. “The last four years have gone by pretty fast, and it doesn’t feel like I’m a senior until I think about it and look at old pictures. In a couple months I will be graduating, but I’m trying to enjoy high school while I’m still here.”
DeBoer is anticipating the jump to college, but is committed to ending her career on a high note.
“I’m definitely looking forward to playing in college next year, but I would really like to have a good ending to this season,” DeBoer said. “If we keep working hard, then I think we will do pretty well in the postseason.”
Legge isn’t one to look ahead, but with a starting line-up consisting of all seniors, expectations are high for the remainder of the season.
“We have a hard road ahead of us the last week of conference (play) and I don’t feel like we have peaked,” she said. “I really focus on what my team needs to do to grow on a day-to-day basis. Every coach in the state hopes their team makes a tournament run, and at this point of the season, it’s a goal of ours.”
Dean Holzwarth covered primarily high school sports for the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years and more recently served as sports editor of the Ionia Sentinel and as a sports photojournalist for WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Grand Rapids South Christian's Jenn DeBoer defends against Grand Rapids Catholic Central earlier this season. (Middle) DeBoer, 4, is one of a cast of experienced teammates hoping to finish with another Finals run; she takes the floor with Markayla Vander (24) and Sydney DeYoung (22). (Photos by Tracy DeYoung.)
Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Girls Report Week 6
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 19, 2026
The MHSAA girls basketball regular season has reached its halfway point, with six weeks done and six more until the start of District play March 2.
That makes it a good time for a quick review on Michigan Power Ratings (MPR) – and how they’re used to seed that first round of the MHSAA playoffs.
MPR is determined by considering a team’s success (total wins) and strength of schedule based on games against opponents also playing in the MHSAA Tournament. You can follow how teams rank all season long on the MPR page, where you can search not only by Division and school, but District grouping as well.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Belleville 77, Wayne Memorial 49 The Tigers (9-0) handed two Kensington Lakes Activities Association East rivals their first losses this season last week, first Livonia Stevenson and then the Zebras (8-1).
2. Grass Lake 61, Michigan 55 Grass Lake (9-1) moved into first place alone and Michigan Center (8-2) into second in the Cascades Conference East as the top two finishers from the last two seasons met for the first time this season.
3. Ewen-Trout Creek 40, Baraga 21 The Panthers (7-1) remain among the leaders in the overall Copper Mountain Conference standings after handing Baraga (9-1) its lone defeat.
4. DeWitt 50, Haslett 42 The Panthers (9-1) – No. 10 in Division 1 MPR – won one of the Lansing area’s best nonleague matchups of the regular season, as the Vikings (6-1) are No. 14 in Division 2.
5. Temperance Bedford 36, Saline 32 Reigning Southeastern Conference Red co-champ Bedford (6-3) is in first place alone after this win over the rival Hornets (8-2).
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Detroit Renaissance (8-2) The Phoenix have put together another impressive first half, with their only losses to likewise Division 1 contenders Belleville and Wayne Memorial and both before the new year. Renaissance also edged Saginaw Heritage by a point in overtime and downed Flint Powers Catholic by 10 – the latter that teams’ only loss this winter. The Phoenix are perfect through the first half of the Detroit Public School League Blue schedule, winning those games all by at least 21 points.
Rockford (8-1) The reigning Division 1 runner-up graduated last season’s Miss Basketball but hasn’t lost a step, its only loss this season to one-loss Muskegon. The Rams also are the only team to defeat Howell and Grass Lake, and seven of nine opponents so far this winter currently have winning records. Haslett and Jackson Lumen Christi also are on the nonleague slate coming up, while Rockford will also navigate an Ottawa-Kent Conference Red that has all six teams .500 or better entering this week.
DIVISION 2
Goodrich (11-0) The Martians have won at least 23 games the last three seasons, and strong starts are nothing new. But Saturday’s 45-24 win over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s put an exclamation point on a first half that’s also included handing Rochester Hills Stoney Creek its only loss and Parma Western one of its two, with no game closer than 17 points. A major reason for that is Goodrich has held seven of its first 11 opponents under 20 points, and two more under 30.
Tecumseh (10-1) The reigning Division 2 champion is a combined 37-2 since the start of the 2024-25 season, its only loss this winter 54-52 to Grand Rapids West Catholic in a rematch of last year’s title game. Tecumseh jumped from No. 11 to No. 1 in statewide Division 2 MPR over the last week thanks to 30+ point wins over Chelsea and Pinckney and the continued success of several opponents from earlier this season. Home games against Saginaw Heritage on Feb. 3 and Dexter on Feb. 26 will be good tests heading into March.
DIVISION 3
McBain (8-0) Over the last two weeks, McBain has handed Roscommon and Evart their lone losses this season, allowing the Ramblers to take over first place alone in the Highland Conference as they seek a first league championship since 2021-22. A matchup this week with Traverse City St. Francis should tell us even more, and the first weeks of February will determine a lot as McBain faces undefeated Beaverton on Feb. 2, then Evart and Roscommon in back-to-back games Feb. 6 and 9, respectively.
Pewamo-Westphalia (8-1) The Pirates are one of four teams in the Central Michigan Athletic Conference with one loss this winter, but the only team undefeated in league play in part because they were the ones who downed Portland St. Patrick in mid-December and Bath 64-41 last week. P-W’s only loss last winter came in its Regional Final; its only loss so far this season came Jan. 5 to Flint Powers Catholic, and in addition to league play the Pirates have nice tests coming against Heritage and Grand Rapids Catholic Central.
DIVISION 4
Adrian Lenawee Christian (8-1) The Cougars are climbing again after going 10-14 two seasons ago and improving to 12-11 last winter. Three of last season’s losses came to Petersburg Summerfield, which Lenawee Christian defeated 55-40 last week, and LC will face undefeated Morenci on Friday for first place in the Tri-County Conference. The Cougars’ only loss this season came to Big 8 Conference leader Concord, 64-55 to start the new calendar year.
Indian River Inland Lakes (9-0) The Bulldogs could take a big step on improving on last season’s 21-5 finish and run to the Regional Finals, as they face Gaylord St. Mary on Wednesday for the first time after finishing second to the Snowbirds in the Ski Valley Conference last season. Inland Lakes kept its perfect record intact with a 46-44 overtime win over Central Lake on Friday and also has a one-point overtime win over Elk Rapids and another one-pointer in regulation over Bellaire.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – St. Joseph (8-1) at Portage Central (7-1) – These are the only teams without a loss in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference, and Portage Central won their District Semifinal matchup last year after St. Joseph swept the regular-season series.
Wednesday – Gaylord St. Mary (8-1) at Indian River Inland Lakes (9-0) – As noted above, St. Mary won both of last season’s matchups, by four in overtime and seven, to take back the SVC title after Inland Lakes won it in 2023-24.
Thursday – Deckerville (8-1) at Kingston (9-0) – These two are both undefeated in the Big Thumb Conference Blue after Kingston finished first and Deckerville second a year ago.
Friday – Adrian Lenawee Christian (8-1) at Morenci (8-0) – Morenci claimed last year’s meetings by 17 and then only two points in winning the TCC on the way to ending the season in the Division 4 Quarterfinals.
Saturday – Grand Rapids West Catholic (9-2) at Detroit Edison (4-3) – Edison has played its usual schedule featuring several of the state’s best, and this rematch of last season’s Division 2 Semifinal won by West Catholic will finish up a three-game week.
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PHOTOS (Top) Saginaw Heritage passes the ball around the perimeter during its 67-43 win at Frankenmuth on Jan. 12. (Middle) Ishpeming Westwood's Addelyn Hallum drives the lane for a layup against Negaunee on Friday during the Miners’ 46-36 win. (Heritage/Frankenmuth photo by Terry Lyons. Negaunee/Westwood photo by Cara Kamps.)